


Altered Illusions

by moriartyswife



Category: Diabolik Lovers
Genre: Amnesia, sakamaki sister
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-15
Updated: 2018-07-07
Packaged: 2018-08-31 03:12:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 9
Words: 15,379
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8561383
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/moriartyswife/pseuds/moriartyswife
Summary: Living with the Mukami's was all I'd known. My past remained a mystery that my father wanted to remain hidden. But I won't let anyone control me anymore. I'm a pureblood vampire. My past. My memories. They were mine and I was going to get them back no matter the cost. Even if it destroyed my only chance at a happy life. I should know by now... vampires never get a happy ending.





	1. Chapter 1

I struggled to get the front door open. Of course, when I needed help carrying in groceries inside, none of them are around. Just leaving the front door open, I set the bags down on the kitchen countertop, starting to take the items out. It was weird that I hadn’t seen any of them. The sun had set hours ago and they didn’t have school. Kou didn’t have work. The other three were homebodies. So… where the hell were they?  
  
When I went to shut the front door, all four them were in the foyer. On the couch laid a girl with blonde hair, unconscious… or asleep, which was unlikely. I stared for a second before I said, “Alright, I’ll ask. Why is there a girl on our couch?”  
  
Kou’s eyes lit up when I spoke and he pulled me over to where they were standing. “Because, my lovely Leiko, this is Eve.” The grin on his face grew bigger.  
  
“Eve? The Eve?” I asked. When he nodded, I glared at Ruki. “Can I talk to you?” I demanded and teleported up to his bedroom.  
  
Ruki did come. He watched my run my hands down my braided light purple pigtails. “Leiko.”  
  
“Are you out of your damn mind?!” I started, pacing around. My black high heel ankle boots clicked on the floor with every step.  
  
“This was the plan. You know that.” Ruki said, picking up his father’s book off the desk.  
  
I stopped. “HIS plan. I told you not to trust him! Karl Heinz is a liar and—”  
  
Ruki cut me off. “You don’t know that. All your accusations against him come from your own imagination.” He was getting annoyed with this conversation. Good. I wanted to get under his skin. He never listens to me.  
  
I clenched my teeth. “You know that I remember some things about him. It’s fuzzy but I know that we can’t trust him.”  
  
“And you know what he did for us,” Ruki spoke louder. “Your past is something you want to uncover, I understand that. But your fuzzy memories could mean that your filling in the blanks with your own dislike for your father.”  
  
“I am not.” I snapped.  
  
Ruki appeared in front of me, backing me into the door. “If you ruin our chances of becoming Adam in any way, I will end you. Are we clear?”  
  
Where the hell did that come from? “I’m not one of those helpless girls you prey on.” I growled and shoved him so hard that the wall cracked on the other side of room when he hit it. “I’m the pureblood here. Don’t threaten me, Ruki.”  
  
Ruki came at me again but Kou and Yuma appeared between us. “Hey, enough,” Yuma said, his hand on Ruki’s shoulder.  
  
“Let’s just give it a rest,” Kou said to me. He tried not to take sides but I knew if he’d heard the argument that he’d defend Ruki. All four them had been through a lot together. I know about their human lives and that was always something that put a rift between me and them.  
  
All three were staring at me, waiting for me to comply. “Fine,” I said after a moment. I jerked the door open. “I have to finish my paperwork for school tomorrow anyways.”  
  
I didn’t have to look to know the shock that was on their faces. Until now, Karl Heinz had ensured that I was homeschooled but I’d gone around him to enroll myself at the night school. Not a shred of me cared what he, or the boys, thought about it. No one was going to make decisions for me anymore. I would find my lost memories if I experienced more of the outside world.  
  
Finding my way back to the kitchen, I finished putting the groceries away before I started on the dishes. Pushing up the white sleeves of my crop top, I sighed. This girl… Karl Heinz had said she was important but ignored any questions I’d asked. It didn’t add up for me. The whole situation had me on edge.  
  
“You’re still mad,” Kou said, sliding his hands up my thighs to the band of my underwear. He pushed me up against the counter and kissed my neck. “Just forget about Ruki, he’s insensitive.”  
  
I scoffed, trying to focus on the last of the dishes in front of me. “Insensitive? He’s being reckless. This Eve girl is not going to save you.”  
  
Kou groaned from behind me, resting his chin on my shoulder but continued his teasing under my black skater skirt. “Leiko…” He whined. “Don’t make me choose a side.”  
  
Drying my hands on a towel, I rolled my eyes. “You’re already on a side, Kou. You made that clear the day I met you.” They thought because I was a girl that they could intimidate me into doing whatever they needed from a pureblood. I wasn’t that much of a pushover.  
  
Kou spun me around and kissed me. “It’s the plan. You don’t have to like it. Just let it happen.” He played with my pigtails. “Please? For me?”  
  
I swatted his hands away. “No way. Not on this. I’m right and I know it. If you guys don’t want to listen, that’s your prerogative. Do whatever you want, but count me out. Just don’t blame me if this goes up in smoke.”  
  
“Just because you’re a pureblood doesn’t make you right.”  
  
So, he did hear the argument earlier  
  
“I didn’t say that. I just told Ruki what I know is true. I don’t care if none of you believe me. This plan isn’t right.”  
  
Kou frowned, sighing angrily. He jerked me around again, moving us to the open counterspace. One hand pushed me down while the other one slid into my underwear, rubbing me slowly.  
  
“Kou!” I bit back a scream when he grabbed my hair at the scalp between my pigtails. “Stop.”  
  
“What’s wrong? I’m doing whatever I want,” He said mockingly, pulling my hair harder.  
  
I pushed at the counter, trying to get up. “This is not what I meant. Let me go, Kou. Now!”  
  
“Make me.” His reply caught me off guard. “Make. Me.”  
  
I closed my eyes. Dammit.  
  
“If you don’t want me to fuck you right here, right now, make me stop,” Kou said in my ear. The point. I got it now. “You threw Ruki across the room. All you have to do is push me away.”  
  
“Kou… please.” I said, giving in. He knew the power he had over me. I had done the unimaginable when I came here. I’d fallen for him when I told myself that I would never.  
  
He chuckled. “Please? Be more specific.”  
  
“I’ll let it go. Just stop.” I finally said.  
  
Kou released me, the smile returning. “See? That wasn’t so hard was it?”  
  
I straightened my skirt and couldn’t even look at him. Part of me was embarrassed that he’d just done that and the other part of me was upset that I’d let him. I could have stopped it. I had the ability but somewhere down the line I’d let him in. He knew that he could… I had never expected him to go that far.  
  
“Kou, she’s awake.” Azusa said, pouring a glass of water into a small glass.  
  
“We’ll continue our talk later. I want to know about this school thing.” Kou made a point to kiss me slowly. Then he disappeared.  
  
Azusa drank slow. “Are you alright, Leiko?”  
  
I forced a smile. “Fine, thanks.”  
  
Not being able to stand lying to him, I teleported to my bedroom. Why the hell did he decide to do that? I ran my hands down my pigtails again. This wasn’t right. I can’t deal with it right now. Not at all. Stuffing some clothes into an overnight bag, I headed to the front door. Halfway down the stairs, I could hear them all talking. The girl sounded terrified. She should be. Most vampires were dicks.  
  
“This is where we live and you’ll be living here too,” Kou said.  
  
I stopped on the landing before the last set of steps. They were all watching her. “Here? I won’t! I’m going back!” She stood from the couch and headed for the door.  
  
Ruki stopped her. “Go back? You want to go back to the Sakamaki manor? The place where you were a mere vampire toy for them?”  
  
Like she wouldn’t be that for them. She served a purpose but that didn’t mean that they weren’t as messed up as whoever had her before. “I’ll give you a ride,” I mumbled louder than I should have. All eyes turned on me, keys dangling from my hand.  
  
“You’re… a girl…” The blonde said as I walked down the stairs.  
  
“Observant.” I rolled my eyes. She stared at me like she was seeing a ghost. Did she know me?  
  
“Being held their captive while your blood degenerates to livestock.” Ruki continued like I hadn’t even spoke.  
  
“But… you’re vampires too, right? So, wouldn’t it be the same?”  
  
She had no idea what they planned for her. “Offer still stands.” I flashed a smile, ignoring the angry looks from the boys. I didn’t care what they thought.  
  
“Don’t compare us to them.” Ruki snapped.  
  
I still had that name on my mind. Sakamaki? It sounded familiar but I couldn’t place it. I’d have to add it to the list of things I thought I should know.  
  
“We have self-control at least.”  
  
I scoffed. “Not in this universe.”  
  
“Leiko.” Kou said, warning in his tone. I was walking a thin line. One look at him told me he was upset that I was leaving. Kou usually freaked when I did. This time, it was all his fault.  
  
“I still don’t believe you.” She said. Good. Hold your ground. Don’t let them get to you.  
  
“How irritating,” Kou said. Now he had flipped. Laughing, fun Kou was gone. This was who he was and I had allowed myself to fall for him. “We couldn’t give a damn whether you believe us or not.”  
  
“Correct. We just need your blood, Eve’s blood, for this plan,” Ruki replied.  
  
I folded my arms. “A stupid plan.”  
  
Yuma rose from the couch. “Say that again.”  
  
Looking over at him, I couldn’t help but laugh a little. “You idiots aren’t worth my breath anymore. I’m leaving.” With that, I pulled the front door open.  
  
“Leiko,” Kou grabbed my hand. His voice shook. This side of him was the one I fell in love with. The side he rarely showed. “When will you be back?”  
  
“Don’t know. Sometime tomorrow. Maybe.” I snapped and pulled my hand away. The look of hurt on his face almost got to me. I slammed the door shut. If I stayed one more second I might change my mind. He wasn’t always so… sadistic towards me. Most of our time together was indescribably amazing.  
  
I drove into town where most of the city had already closed for the night. The mostly dark parking lot was only illuminated by one streetlight and the lights coming from inside the building. The closed sign hung from the window in the door but I knocked anyways. Checking my surroundings for the umpteenth time, finally, the door chimed as it was opened.  
  
“Hey, Leiko, you’re here late,” Eiji said, sliding his headphones off his head so they hung around his neck. The broom he’d abandoned leaned against an empty table.  
  
I set my bag on the stool next to me at the bar. Juro was cleaning glasses and smoking a cigarette. “Can I crash here tonight?” Upstairs there was loft space. Eiji lived there but Juro owned it.  
  
“Trouble with that boy again?” Juro asked, pouring me a drink.  
  
“Something like that.” I mumbled. Juro was a big guy, tattoos all over and not a hair on his head. I could only assume that in human world, he was considered a tough, strong man… I could snap him half with little effort.  
  
“What did he do this time,” Eiji asked, taking the empty seat next to me. His dark green hair poked out from under his beanie and his bangs shielded one of his gray, concerned, eyes.  
  
I took a long drink. “I saw a side of them that I’d never seen before.”  
  
Juro stopped, setting down his cigarette. “I’m only going to ask this once. Did he hurt you?”  
  
“You know he and I are vampires. Your threats won’t affect him. You’ll only end up—”  
  
“Leiko, just tell me.” Juro said.  
  
I stared into my drink. “No. He might have. But he didn’t.”  
  
Neither Juro nor Eiji seemed to believe me but they dropped the subject. Instead, Eiji talked about the university he intended to attend. His dream was to be photographer. Humans. I barely understood them but Eiji made it seem like we were so much alike.  
  
I tried to focus on what he said but I knew that I’d already grown much too attached. Eventually, they’d both grow older and older and inevitably die, while I would remain this way. Young. Vibrant. Immortal. Deep down, I would mourn their deaths for eternity. That was the curse of being a vampire.


	2. Chapter 2

                “Can vampires have their picture taken? I was doing research online and I read that if you take a photo of a vampire they won’t appear in the picture,” Eiji said, holding up his camera and adjusting the lens slowly.

                “Don’t believe everything you read on the internet,” I replied. When I glanced over at him, he snapped a picture. Clicking a button on the back, a grin grew on his face. Eiji showed me the photo on the little screen.

                “Damn. You’re so photogenic. I’m so going to be taking a bunch of shots tonight.”

                I laughed a little. Eiji was very enthusiastic about his pursuits. “Why would you want to do that?”

                Eiji snapped another photo. “Because, you’re so beautiful and beautiful things deserve to be immortalized.” When he realized what he’d said, he blushed. “I mean… there’s something about you. Some mystery that I want to discover through photographs.”

                Mystery?

                “If you let me stay with you tonight, you can take all the photos you want,” I said. No one had ever been this genuinely interested in me… that I could remember. I’d never discussed my amnesia with either him or Juro. The reality was, if they knew, it could put them in danger.

                Eiji’s eyes lit up as he grinned. “Deal! I’ve got to finish cleaning but the door is unlocked.”

                I stood and sung my bag over my shoulder. “Have you ate? I could cook something.” I always offered to cook for him when I stayed because he never accepted any money I tried to give him. Deep down, I knew that Eiji would do anything I asked. No matter what.

                “Make yourself at home! I love a home cooked meal.” Eiji answer, retrieving his broom.

                Juro gave a wave, deep in thought. Upstairs, I already felt more relaxed. Eiji’s apartment was warm with blue-gray tone walls and eclectic décor from his summer travels. I set my bag on the floor and opened his fridge to see what kind of food he had for me to work with. My eyes settled on some chicken breasts.

                _“What about chicken? I love chicken!” I giggled and pushed the stool over to the stove. Standing up on it, I watched him add oil to the pan._

_“I don’t have time to make you chicken, Leiko. Mother wants the lamb that she bought from the market.” He answers, shaking some spice into the sizzling pan._

_I frowned and crossed my arms. “Can’t I use the pan when you’re done? Big brother and I want chicken!”_

_With a shake of his dark purple hair, he shoved me off the stool. “No! You’re not even supposed to be in here! Get lost, Leiko!”_

_I hit the floor and stared at him. “You’re so mean! I live here too! I can make food if I want to! You can’t stop me!”_

                “Leiko… earth to Leiko!” Eiji said, patting my head. I hadn’t even heard him come in. “You spaced out.”

                I straightened up with the chicken in my hands. “Sorry. I’m going to cook this chicken.”

                Eiji didn’t protest. Instead, he began to take photos. I thought about the memory I’d just had. Sometimes they just hit me out of nowhere. Two things were always certain: the memories always happened when I was much younger, and I never saw the faces of who I was with.

                When I’d finished cooking, Eiji came to help set the table but I didn’t realize. We collided and the plates slipped from my hands, shattering on the floor. “Shit! I’m sorry, Leiko,” Eiji apologized, dropping to one knee. He inhaled sharply, holding his hand.

                The smell hit me hard. Blood. Drops hit the floor and I backed away from him. Covering my mouth, I muttered, “Eiji, get out of here.”

                He held his bleeding hand, unaware of the imminent danger. “What? Oh…” He tried to cover the hurt in his voice.

                “Please. Go.”

                Rising to his feet, Eiji came toward me. “Leiko, I know you won’t hurt me.”

                I shook my head. “It’s been a long time… It smells too good...” I wanted it.

                I needed it.

                Instincts taking over, I grabbed his wrist and licked the blood running down his hand all the up to the wound. Warm. Salty. Delicious. I want more. I opened my mouth to bite him.

                “That’s a little tight,” Eiji laughed to hide his pain.

                No.

                Releasing him, I teleported away into his bathroom. With the door locked, I dropped to all fours. His blood. I inhaled deeply. Smell still lingered as it coursed through my body. Beating my hand on the floor, I cursed. “How could I do that?” I’d almost bit him!

                _Like the monster you are._

Time passed slowly after I fell over onto my side, curled up. It had only been a taste. It wasn’t enough to satisfy my thirst. The urge to go back and drink him more hurt me. I can’t bite him. He could die from the process of becoming a vampire… or worse… I’d take his humanity from him.

                Eiji never came to find me. I’d probably scared him off. I couldn’t blame him. He should know what a real vampire is like. A creature of destruction. The only that will come from knowing me is pain. I shouldn’t even be here. In the back of my mind, I remembered why I had opened up to Kou… he was like me. He was the only one who I could truly be with.  I had to go home. Eiji shouldn’t be in danger like this.

                I pulled the door open carefully. Outside the door, Eiji was lying on the floor, asleep. What? Why? That gesture puzzle me. He can’t… I must stop this. He can’t be attached to me. Making up my mind, I took my bag and left. I should forget about Eiji. He doesn’t deserve the pain I’ll inevitably put him through.

                The sun had already rose. My clock in the car read 11:56 AM. Almost noon. Everyone would be asleep at home. My heart ached as I drove away from the bar that I knew I could no longer return to. This was the right thing to do.

                I crept inside and up to Kou’s bedroom. Just looking at my door made me feel lonely. Besides, the guilt of what I’d done to Eiji still hit me hard. I needed Kou to make me forget. He always made me feel wanted, even after we’d fought.

                He’d obviously had a rough night. Clothes were strewn all over his room. The duvet on his bed pulled out from the corners of the bottom of the bed and tangled around his legs. The sheet laid over his hips, leaving his torso bare since he wasn’t wearing a shirt. Kou’s face scrunched up and he mumbled my name softly, melting me.

                I dropped my bag on the floor. The thud woke him up. When his eyes met mine, tears welled up. I thought he might send me away, but Kou sat up and lifted the sheet as an invitation. The small smile on his face told me that he’d gotten over our fight. “Leiko… I’m so happy your back.”

                The genuineness of his words broke me down and my chest heaved before I started to cry. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I sobbed into his shoulder. Kou’s arms slid around my waist and he rocked us side to side. I knew he thought my tears were for him… they were. All the love I had for him made me confused. He’d hurt me time and time again, and I always came back.

                But I also cried for Eiji. I’d made a mistake by drinking his blood. And it was something I could never take back. The craving for it would become stronger and stronger. By being so careless, I’d put Eiji in so much danger and showed him what a monster I was.

                I couldn’t tell Kou all that. All I could say was, “I’m sorry.”

                “It’s all in the past. I promise I’ll never do it again,” Kou said, holding me tight.

                Empty words. I hated when Kou spoke to me like that. He would do it again. And again. Because he knew that I would forgive him. That was the control he had over me. I’d given it to him to moment he told me he wanted me.

                “My lovely Leiko,” Kou said, holding my face in his hands. He leaned down and kissed me. “I love you.”

                “Kou,” I blushed. He rarely said it but it melted my heart just the same.

                “Shh. Let me talk.” He said. “No one else matters to me. I’ll support your decision to go to school.”

                He called it compromise. If he supported me in that, then he expected me to support their plan to become Adam. Maybe I should. They won’t listen to me anyways. “Thank you. It means a lot to me,” I replied with a smile.

                Kou took my hands in his. “We can have classes together and study together. I’ll get so much more time with you.” The hesitation in his voice alarmed me.

                “Kou?” I asked, blinking. What’s wrong now?

                He sighed. “It’s just… we can’t be dating at school.” He said it slowly and carefully, gauging my reaction.

                Then it hit me. “Your fans.”

                With a nod of his head, Kou said, “I can’t publicly have a girlfriend. Besides, those girls can be mean and I don’t want you to get hurt and—”

                “I get it” I cut him off. “It’s fine.

                Kou raised his eyebrows. “You don’t look like you’re fine with it.”

                I must’ve looked pretty angry. Trying to remain calm, I said, “We have the same last name. They’ll think we’re siblings.”

                Kou smiled, relieved that I’d said that. He dropped the subject completely and kissed me. He did so until we were both tired. The only thing stuck in my mind was his fans. I wasn’t the jealous type… I don’t think. It had never been a problem. Work was away from here. When Kou was home, he wasn’t an idol. He was just… Kou. My boyfriend. Mine. Dammit. This would not be easy.


	3. Chapter 3

               Staring at myself in the mirror, I’d come to a very clear conclusion.

               I _hated_ this uniform.

               It was too tight on the top. The skirt might as well have a hoop under it and these shoes were an atrocity.

               Sighing, I slipped on some brown boots. Maybe no one will notice or care that it’s not technically dress code. Kou wears white boots… but he’s also pretty famous so he can probably get away with it. I did my makeup and checked the clock. The boys should be eating dinner. Right now, I wasn’t sure I could stomach anything.

               I walked out into the hall, seeing Yui. Again, she turned a little pale when her eyes landed on me. With no one around, I asked, “Do you know me?” I had this nagging feeling that she had to know something.

               Yui couldn’t look me in the eyes. “No. I don’t. I’m sorry.” Before I could stop her, she’d gone into the dining room where I could hear Kou and Yuma arguing over food. I squeezed my fists. Dammit! She knows something.

               Standing in front of the big windows that overlooked the backyard, I let my mind reel. It bothered me that I couldn’t remember. I had thought maybe I’d had some kind of accident and the memories were lost forever, but now I knew that was false. My memories had been taken from me. My father had the keys and I wanted them back.

               Two arms slid around my waist and Kou rested his chin on my shoulder. “Are you worried about your first day?”

               “A little.” I lied with a half-smile. Going to school with humans didn’t appeal to or worry me. I had plenty of self-control, but telling Kou about recovering my memories would only end in a fight. I was on my own.

               Kou kissed my cheek. “It’ll be fun. We’ll have classes together and we can always sneak off for secret make out sessions in empty dark rooms with the thrill of almost getting caught.”

               I tried to make it sound like I was extremely excited about it, but I couldn’t tell if it worked. My mind was lost on the memories trail. Azusa got picked to stay behind with Yui. She still wouldn’t look in my direction. What was she hiding? Angry, I glared at her. Tonight, I’m going to make her talk. I’m a pureblood vampire and I’ll be damned if some human girl is going to ignore me.

               Kou opened the passenger side door for me of the SUV. They talked on the way, but all I could do was stare out the window at the passing world…

               _My shoes dug into the pavement, scooting in the wrong direction. This isn’t right! Why is he taking me away again? Pushing my feet down harder, I leaned forward, trying to get the momentum forward instead of backwards. No luck. The man’s grip on my arm held solid. “Mother please!” I cried out, tears blurring my vision._

_My mother folded her arms and no sympathy came from her. She raised up her head. “Good girls do as their told, Leiko. Crying only means you’re weak and need a lesson. I’ve no time to deal with you. Richter will oversee you.”_

_She never wanted anything to do with me. I longed for someone to come save me… who I couldn’t be sure… maybe just anyone. I sniffed, still trying to stop crying. Weak. I’m so weak. No one will ever want the weak little girl who cries so much._

_“Stop that this instant!” Mother snapped, striking me across the face. Had Richter not been holding my arm, I might have fallen._

_He stopped her from doing it again. “Enough, Cordelia. Leiko will be perfectly fine in my care.” It didn’t feel fine. Something about him made me afraid. I don’t want to go. Don’t make me go, mother. Those unspoken words echoed in my head._

               The memory comes and goes but at the end, I can barely remember seeing someone in the bushes. Blurry, but someone saw. I hated that memory. It always made me sick to my stomach. That man was not good. Something about him left a bad taste in my mouth.

               “You okay?” Kou asked, breaking my concentration. He swerved around another car and into the parking lot. This boy could not drive for the life of him. It was a wonder he hadn’t wrecked yet.

               I stopped rubbing my neck where it burned. Muttering a response, I slipped out of the car when he’d parked. There were a lot more students that I imagined. Inside, we parted was. I had my first class alone, which I was grateful for the solitude.

               The only seat open was in the back, next to a redheaded boy who had his head down. Taking a deep breath, I slid into the seat. Maybe this was a bad idea. I don’t need school. Wait. Sitting straight up, my eyes flickered to the boy. Vampire. Pureblood. No one told me other vampires attended this school.

               He must have had the same thought. His head snapped up and green eyes met my purple ones. Whatever snarky remark he had prepared halted and he said, “Leiko?”

               “Do I know you?” How does he know my name? My guard went up. It’s never good when they know your name.

               He stood, grabbing my arm and teleporting us into the corner of an empty hallway. “Don’t play stupid with me! Where the hell have you been? We thought you might be dead!”

               I shoved him back. “I don’t know you! Back off!” Something about him felt familiar, confusing me.

               Hurt registered in his face. “You really don’t remember?” When I shook my head, he said, “I’m Ayato, your brother.”

               I blinked. Brother? “I’m sorry. I don’t remember any of my past…” Why do I want to hug him? Reigning the urge in, I dug my nails into my palms. Focus.

               Ayato ran his hand through his hair. “How do you not remember?”

               Students began to pour out of the classrooms. I backed up out of sight when Ruki came out. “We can’t talk here. It’s not safe.” Is this way father wouldn’t let me go to night school? Whatever the reason, I knew that I couldn’t trust Ruki. He’d disapprove and he’d tell on me. I didn’t need that right now… because I believed Ayato. I knew I had trusted him in the past.

               Ayato took my hand and teleported us up to the roof. “You really don’t remember?” He asked, watching me like I might disappear.

               “No… everything before my time with the Mukami’s is fuzzy.”

               “Those damn half breeds! Leiko…” Every time he said my name, I felt a longing… for what I wasn’t sure. “Come home with me.”

               Home… I’d never had a home for as long as I could remember. Before I’d lived with the Mukami’s, I’d been working for my father and moving around a lot. And when I did settle in with them, it had never felt like a home. But I… “I can’t… I need to sort all this out.”

               A mixture of anger and confusion crossed his features but before he could speak, someone else appeared beside him. Vampire too. “Let her go, Ayato.”

               He had the same green eyes, but more orange than red hair, and a fedora set loosely on top of his head. They must be related… does that make him my brother too? I only stared for a few seconds before teleporting down the road in front of the school. The house was a long way from here. Sliding off my shoes, I ran. Being a vampire had its perks. My stamina was amazing. It took half the time it would have taken a human to get there.

               I paced in the foyer. One of your brothers… Are there only two of them? Why can’t I remember at all? Squeezing my eyes shut, I rubbed my temples. It’s all there. I can feel it. A wave of nausea flooded over me.

 

_“Please don’t!” I had my hands out in front of me to keep my distant from them. “I don’t want this.” Panic has settled in. My eyes darted around the room, trying to keep an eye on all four of them. Why are they doing this to me?_

_The room was a laboratory, filled with human corpses in various stages of decomposition. The smell alone overwhelmed my senses. Ruki. Yuma. Azusa. Kou. They were all here. They were what I was distancing myself from._

_“Leiko, just calm down.” Kou frowned liked he did when he was annoyed… when he wasn’t getting exactly what he wanted._

_This was wrong. I could feel every inch of my body telling me so. No. It screamed. “Leave me alone.”_

_“This is the only way. You have to forget again. It’s the only way,” Azusa said, reaching out for me. Trust no one._

_My back hit the wall. The only option was to fight my way out. I was the pureblood, but I could really hurt them if I did. Hesitation was my mistake. Kou and Yuma came at me together, holding me strong until Ruki walked up, a syringe attached to a bottle of liquid._

               I had dropped to my knees like someone had just knocked the wind out of me. Taking heavy breaths, I untangled my fingers from hair. My head turned to look at the four boys all standing by the door after Kou called my name. Alarm was written on his face. They did this.

               “What the _hell_ did you do to me?”


	4. Chapter 4

               No one moved at first. It could have been the shock but I knew better. They were scrambling for words, or an excuse. Whatever the case, they didn’t deny anything. Ruki shook his head slowly, making me even more angry. Pushing to my feet, I squeezed my fists. “Someone better start talking! What did you do to me?! Why can’t I remember anything!” I shouted. A wave of electricity shot through my body. Doubling over, I cried out in pain and held my head. The memories, they hurt.

               “Leiko, it’s not what you think,” Kou fumbled his words, taking a step toward me. “Just listen.”

               I growled, causing him to stop. “Don’t touch me. What did you do?” The scene played over again and again. They did this to me.

               Ruki put his hand on Kou’s shoulder. “We can’t tell you. You’ll have to trust us.”

               Through the pain, I lunged at him, knocking us over. I wanted to kill. I wanted to rip out his organs and cause as much pain as I could. “Trust you? I’ll never trust you as long as you work for him!” I shouted. Yuma’s arms locked around my waist, hauling me off Ruki. I kicked my leg back into his shin with enough force that it would have shattered a human’s bone.

               He staggered, cursing loudly and losing his grip on me. Slipping out of his grip, I took his arm and jerked it to twist his body. My boot connected with his back, sending Yuma into the wall, cracking it up to the ceiling. Kou was frozen, unsure of how to handle me like this.  “Enough!” Ruki snapped, back up on his feet.

               My breaths were ragged. The pain from the drug was taking a toll on me. It became clear that they weren’t going to talk. Angry, I teleported up to my room, slamming the door shut. My back against the door, I slid to the floor. Beating my fist back into the frame repeatedly dulled the ache inside me if only a for a moment.

               The wood splintered, cutting my hand in various places. Blood oozed out onto my skin. I trusted them. The truth continued to become more and more complicated. Again. I’d said again. Does that mean I’ve been drugged before? None of this makes sense! A knock at the door made me tense. Human.

               In a blink, I had Yui in the room, her back pressed against the wall. Her heart pounded in my ears. Her face contorting into fear made me happier than it should have. Vampires are the better race, no question, but in this moment, I felt more superior than I ever had. And I thoroughly enjoyed this feeling.

               “L-Lei-ko-” She stammered. _Good. Be afraid of me._

               She smelled utterly delicious. My instinct to bite her was almost too much to resist. Maybe it’ll spark a memory. She cried out when I sunk my fangs into her neck. The sweet warm blood tasted unbelievably good. It’s been some time since I last drank fresh human blood. Yui’s body tensed in pain.

               Damn it turned me on.

               I have no memories of ever biting a female, much less being attracted to one. But this felt so natural. My body craved her. I pressed up against her, almost moaning. Slipping a hand under her shirt, I felt her soft skin. It was different than when I was with Kou. I was in control. It might have been the shock, but Yui didn’t fight me.

               The euphoric moment ended when my phone rang. That’s Eiji’s ringtone. My heart ached to answer it. “Get out,” I muttered, releasing my prey. She stood in a daze before moving slowly out of the room.

               Holding the phone in both hands, I pressed the screen to my lips. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” It’s better this way. He had to see that. If not now, one day. The phone went silent before buzzing with a new voicemail. I should delete it, but I can’t. It might be the last time I hear his voice.

               Discarding the phone on the bed, I went into the bathroom to wash the blood off my hand. The wounds caused by the splintered wood had already healed up like it had never happened. I rinsed off the blood. In the mirror, blood had dripped down my chin. Monster. I looked like monster. Licking it away, I sighed. Fitting, that image.

               I am a monster.

               No one came to check on me. Lying in bed, my eyes flickered to the door. Kou was on the other side, but after a moment, he disappeared. Too tired to deal with it. My eyes slid closed. Tomorrow I would find Ayato and ask him more questions. Everything just seemed so jumbled in my head.

 

               At school, I had to avoid Kou and the others. I’d driven myself and there was no part of me that wanted to see them right now. Who knows what I would end up doing. Ayato wasn’t in class, and after a thorough search of the building, the roof was my last place to look. Empty. The wind blew and I whirled around. The boy in the fedora stared at me with a smile.

               “Hello Leiko,” he said. “Ayato isn’t here today. He went to find our dear father.” The sarcasm in his voice meant they didn’t have a good relationship with him either.

               “That’s never a good idea.”

               He chuckled and came towards me. “Ayato tells me that you can’t remember any of us. How disappointing, Leiko.” Something about the way he said my name made me take a step back, but the fence prevented any more. “What’s the matter little sister? You don’t remember me, right?”

               I couldn’t describe this feeling. It wasn’t fear. The feeling became stronger the closer he got. I lifted my hands to stop him. What is wrong with me? No words formed.

               He snatched my wrists with one hand, closing the little distance between us. With his free hand, he lifted up my chin to force me to meet his gaze. A playful smirk spread over his lips and he leaned down. “It seems your memory is the only thing that’s forgotten me, Leiko.”

               My mind wanted to fight him, but my body wouldn’t move. The rest of me wanted to comply with whatever he wanted. His lips met mine for only a few seconds, sending electric static through me. With a chuckle, he pulled my head to the side, exposing my neck. “Maybe I should bite you like I used to. Would you let me?”

               Yes.

               I surprised myself with how quickly I would have replied. It hadn’t even been a question. It was a taunt. He was gone in a second, just barely missing Kou’s punch. “Stay away from my Leiko,” he growled. Possessive. Kou had always been like that.

               “She’ll never be yours,” The boy said, stooping down to pick up his fedora. No fight happened. Laito strolled for the door to the stairs.

               I blinked, touching my lips with my fingertips. Did I remember something? “Laito,” I said softly. A human wouldn’t have heard it, but he did. He paused at the door for a brief second, and I thought I saw a smile.

               “Are you okay?” Kou asked, reaching out to touch me, but thinking better of it, he dropped his hand. I wished I could believe the remorse in his eyes. But I knew better. He acted for a living, but he’d never been able to fool me.

               That didn’t make it hurt any less.

               “Yeah,” I answered, wanting to go after Laito. He could give me answers.

               “Let me explain, please,” Kou begged.

               Thankfully, the bell rang, giving me an excuse to leave. I didn’t miss his “I love you” as I left. Why does it have to be so hard?  I wanted to forgive him. That thought alone made me hurt. I must be so pathetic to be willing to forgive what they’ve done. My shoe caught on a small hole in the stairs, sending me tumbling down to the bottom. “Ouch,” I bit my tongue to keep from yelling. I’m such a mess today.

               “Are you hurt,” a familiar voice asked. They boy held out his hand.

 

               _“Wait!” I yelled, voice quivering. My little legs couldn’t keep up with them. We’d been chasing bats around again and they wanted to bring them into the house. Coming out of the woods and onto the cobblestone, I tripped on the uneven stones, toppling over._

_The smell of blood filled my nose. It was my own blood. My knee throbbed from the scrapped skin. Tears pooled in my eyes. “Ouh.” I started to cry._

_“Leiko, what’s wrong?” A little boy with the same purple hair as mine asked. He knelt down in front of me, clutching his teddy bear in his arms. “You scrapped your knee?”_

_“It hurts,” I sniffed, rubbing my eyes._

_He set the teddy bear down on the ground and leaned down, licking the wound. It only stung for a few seconds. “Better?” He asked, holding out his hand._

_I nodded my head. Back on my feet, he kept a hold of my hand. Walking me back toward the huge house, he sung to me. Two other little boys were waiting, holding a cage of bats. Mother sat far away, talking with Richter._

I lifted my head to see who it was. Vampire definitely, but he looked like… me, only a boy. Our pale purple hair and eyes were a rare color. In his other arm, he clutched his teddy bear, exactly like I remember. My head started to pound again. “I’m fine,” I said, taking his hand.

               We both stared at each other in silence. I wanted to hug him, and to cry. My grip on my emotions was slipping. An overwhelming sickness took over, and I uttered a quick thank you and forced myself to walk away. How many of them are there? Collapsing in the locked stall in the bathroom, my stomach heaved, and the room blurred.


	5. Chapter 5

               I spent the remainder of the school night sitting on the bathroom floor. My throat felt raw and the taste of puke lingered in my mouth. Every piece of my body ached. The thirst for blood grew stronger with each passing minute. Girls came in groups, talking, laughing, and gossiping. The smell of their blood mixed with the perfume and shampoo made me nauseous again.

               Vampires don’t get sick, not to my knowledge anyway. But who knows what kind of concoction that drug was made out. I’d never felt this way before. Dry heaving into the toilet again, I held my hair back. Sitting on the floor, my phone in my bag buzzed. Another voicemail from Eiji.

               _Leiko. Please answer. I need to know you’re okay. The other night, it’s okay. I know you wouldn’t have hurt me, even if you didn’t know it yourself. Please call me back._

Having no choice, I peeled myself off the ground. The room around me waved in and out. Students were gone, thankfully. I might have jumped someone for blood right now. The nurse’s office was out of the question. Firstly, I had no idea what to say. That I was drugged by the boy I fell in love with, and oh, also, I’m a vampire.

Staggering down the hallway, a man walked out of the home ec room. He looks… familiar. “Leiko?” Juro asked. “You look awful.” He approached me with a worried look.

“I…” My words left me and my body gave out. Juro caught me before I hit the floor. I groaned in pain. Like I weighed nothing, he lifted me up. “Wait-”

Juro didn’t listen. He carried me out to his car, barely getting the door open. Climbing into the driver’s seat, he asked. “Can you go to a hospital?” The car jerked into gear.

“No, home,” I said. That word left a bad taste in my mouth. It wasn’t my home. But I had nowhere else to go. My thirst for blood was almost out of control. As Juro drove via my shitty directions, my hands gripped the seat so hard that I broke through the cushion. Don’t bite him. He’s your friend.

The car rolled to a stop in front of the house. I slid out of the seat, almost falling face first. Each step toward the door sent a wave of pain up my body. My legs gave out, making me drop to all fours. Juro’s pulse pounded from behind me. “Don’t!” I snapped to keep him away.

“You can go now,” Kou’s voice floated down. All I could see was his white boots but I knew he probably had an angry look. He still held a lot of resentment toward humans, and he was a jealous boyfriend. After Juro drove away, Kou crouched down. “Leiko,” he sighed, “Sometimes you’re a lot of trouble.”

Not being able to control myself any longer, I pushed myself forward, knocking him over. Sinking my fangs into his shoulder. Kou laughed like my state was funny. With one of his arms behind him to hold us up, he hooked the other arm around my waist pulling me closer. “This happened last time, you know. You purebloods have an insatiable taste for blood. I don’t mind. I thoroughly enjoy your absolute need for me. Besides, when you’re better, you’ll repay me.” Kou ran his hand through my hair.

His blood made me feel a little better.  I hated being so dependent on him but I had no one else. After finishing, I laid my head against his shoulder. He was waiting for me to respond… to apologize. I doubted that he’d do anything to help me until I did. Mustering all the sweetness I could, I wrapped my arms around him. “Kou…” All these new emotions from my past where welling up inside me, and I started to cry. The words I knew he wanted to hear fell out. “I’m sorry… I need you…”

“Come on, let’s get you inside,” Kou said, helping me up to my room.

               Two full days past before anyone started talking about what to do. Kou let me drink his blood, which dulled my pain for a few hours, and he stayed with me while the others went to school. Today, something started to feel wrong. Kou had been gone for longer than normal, and it seemed that no one went to school today.

               “We can’t wait any longer. She’s in so much pain,” Kou’s voice came through the cracked door. He wasn’t in sight, but Ruki was. He frowned at Kou’s words. “If we do it right, we can convince her that our plan is good.”

               Of course. All they want is my cooperation. My body felt hot, like my insides were melting. _I have to get out of here_. I’ll never get my memories back if I stay. They were slowly returning. I got glimpses into my past. The house that appeared in all of them… I had a pretty good sense of where it would be. If I made it that far was a different story.

               I’d been so hot earlier that I’d stripped down. Grabbing the nearest black skirt and loose grey shirt, I jerked the clothes on as fast as I could. Throw on a jacket. Phone. Keys. Wallet. Essentially anything that I would need.

               The window stuck as I tried to open it. Every pull made it squeak. I had to squeeze myself through, and fell to the cobblestone walkway below. As if I wasn’t already in enough pain. _Just get out._

               “Lei…ko,” Azusa said, looking down at me. Unlike the other boys, his face held genuine concern. Dropping down to one knee, Azusa cupped my face with both of his hands. After a solid ten seconds, a ghost of a smile appeared. “Go.”

               “Thank you,” I said, forcing my body to move. Azusa and I had a weird relationship. He was so different from the other three, kind of like a little brother. I’d protected him from my father a few times. But this time, he protected me from them. In my current state, I’d be no match for any of them.

               In the woods, I heard Yuma yell for me. And then Kou. Out running them was out of the question. They’d catch up to me in no time. Using teleportation, I only did it as far as I could see. Being inside of a tree wasn’t on my list. My sense of direction became stronger the further into the woods I went. The house was near.

               The path I’d found left the woods and led to a huge pond. A familiar scent filled my lungs. Without all my memories, I still couldn’t remember him that well. Somewhere in my mind, it clicked. This is my family. This is where I belong, where I wanted to be. Using my last bit of strength, I teleported over to him, knocking us both to the ground.

               “Leiko?” The surprise in Ayato’s voice made me happy. After a moment, he wrapped an arm around me. “Damn, you’re burning up,” He said, alarmed.

               This feeling… I remember it. Safe. For the first time in a long time, I felt safe. Tears spilled over and I couldn’t tell if I was sad or relieved. Maybe both. Another scent filled the air. Yuma and Kou. They both emerged from the woods, glares in their eyes. “I want to go home. Take me home.”

               “She’s coming back with us,” Kou said, desperation laced in his voice. He knew he was losing me, and though he was controlling, he did care for me in his own way. But that wasn’t enough anymore. He wanted to keep me from my family, keep me locked away as someone I wasn’t.

               “Get lost,” A new vampire appeared. He had white hair.

               Then another one, blonde, and Laito, and Kanato, and the dark purple haired one with glasses. They all blocked Kou from coming any closer. He shouted at them, and then at me. The imminent fight shut down when Ruki grabbed his arm. “Let’s go, Kou. This is where she wants to be.” Not that Ruki had ever cared about where I wanted to be. But, Kou left him, and the tension around me disappeared.

               Ayato scooped me up, holding me like I might disappear if he put me down. All the exertion on my body made me tired. It became harder and harder to stay awake. They were talking, but I couldn’t hear them. My body still ached, but a happiness set in. Home. I was home.


	6. Chapter 6

               Teleporting into the house sent a shockwave of pain through my body, even though it was Ayato who had done it. He still held me tightly in his arms, refusing to let anyone else touch me. The effects of the drug made it hard to control my vampire instincts. It hadn’t been that long since I’d drank Kou’s blood, but the thirst had already returned and was becoming unbearable. “Reiji,” Ayato growled, staring at someone else. It took a moment for his gaze to drop to check on me. His eyes widened at my open eyes. “Leiko.”

               “Do you have any idea what is causing this?” Reiji asked from somewhere else in the room.

               The sound of things being sat on the floor made my head hurt more. I wanted to tell him that it was some drug created by our father, but nothing came out. No matter how hard I tried, no words would form. My body felt so heavy. Ayato reluctantly set me down on a hard surface. “Figure it out,” he said.

               Reiji sighed, rolling up his sleeves. “I cannot treat the unknown, Ayato. Maybe ease the pain, but it seems like she’s having withdrawal symptoms, which vampires can have if given a strong enough drug over a long span or time.”

               “She has been missing for quite a long time,” Laito commented.

               I’ve been missing? For how long? From what I remember this time, I’d been living with Kou for almost four years. Trying to piece it together only made me feel worse. My surroundings began to blur together and then disappear, unconsciousness taking over.

               When I awoke, I was in an oddly familiar room. Moonlight spilled in through the cracks in the curtains, bringing light into the otherwise dark bedroom. Voices spoke softly. “It’s been three days. How long is this supposed to take?” Ayato asked.

               “I can’t say,” Reiji replied. “There is no telling what kind of drug is in her system. It’s trail and error at this point.”

               “She’s not an experiment,” Kanato snapped.

               Reiji sighed. “Yes, she is. Without all the required information, her side effects could worsen…”

               “Don’t say that… like it’s too late,” Ayato cut him off, sinking onto the bed behind me. His words triggered something, though I was still half asleep.

              

               _“It’s much too late for you to be begging me, daughter,” Karl Heinz grabbed my chin to force me to look at him. His golden eyes held no compassion. He wanted me to be something useful for him. The more powerful and skilled I’d become, the easier it had been to resist him. He grew tired of fighting me._

_We were in a dungeon. My arms chained above my head, aching from being here for days. This was my punishment for attempting to take his life with a silver knife. I had known all along that it wouldn’t work, but I had to try. He can’t do this to me. The anger inside subsided into pure fear. “You can’t! I don’t want to forget!” He’s taken everything from me. My memories were all I had left._

_He stepped back, unfazed by my protest. “I need you to be a good little girl and do just as I tell you. So long as they’re plaguing your mind, you’ll always try to return to that house and abandon my experiment.” No regret showed. He never cared about his own children. “Do it.”_

_And he never does it himself._

_Ruki approached me, as equally unfazed as my father. A good solider. He prepared the syringe with a new drug. Still, he refused to look at me while he worked. “Tilt your head to the side.:_

_“Ruki, please, just let me go.” This is all I have left. My memories of my brothers. We weren’t a perfect family, but that house was much better than this hell Father had put me through._

_Ruki jerked my head by the hair to expose my neck. Sticking it into my neck, he said, “Just relax, Leiko. This is the way it should be.” His calm voice annoyed me, but somehow made me feel relaxed and tired._

_“Now, listen carefully to your new memories,” Karl Heinz said, beginning to talk._

               “Leiko!”

               “I don’t want them!” I said loudly, fighting against whoever had ahold of my wrists. When the memory left me, I realized Ayato had my wrists, holding me tightly. He and Kanato stared at me with confused expressions. “I… What’s going on?”

               “You were having a nightmare,” Kanato said, hugging his teddy with both arms. He still has that bear, huh?

               Taking a deep breath, I relaxed my tense body. Not a nightmare. How I wished it had been. “It was a stupid memory. I already know who did this to me.” Ruki had obeyed like an obedient dog. That didn’t surprise me.

               “Those damn half breeds were a part of it. I’m going to kill them all.” Ayato released me.

               That shouldn’t hurt my heart as much as it did. After all they did to me, should I care? With a small smile, I said, “They’re partially to blame, but father is to blame. He made it all happen. He’s using them as an experiment, too.”

               “Don’t tell me you actually care what happens to them? What about us? We’re your family,” Kanato said, narrowing his eyes at me. Seems his anger problems have gotten worse. How much has changed since I’ve been gone.

               “I’m having a hard time sorting out my memories is all. Whether my feelings about them are my own is still a mystery. This is where I belong, Kanato. Don’t worry, okay?”

 “First Richter, and now him too,” Ayato scoffed. He knew exactly what had happened between our uncle and myself.

As soon as he said his name, a sickening feeling flooded my body. Richter… “Where is…” His name was hard to say. It made me want to throw up. Remembering what he’d done to me hadn’t fully returned, but it wasn’t good.

Kanato teleported next to me on the bed, playing with my hair. “Richter isn’t here. He hasn’t come by in a long time. Did you leave because you wanted to?” There was danger in his tone. He’d always been afraid that everyone was trying to hurt him. Mother had instilled that into him.

Did I? Staring at the sheets, I shook my head. “I don’t remember, but I don’t think so. Why would I?”

The two exchanged a look, but didn’t comment. Had something happened that made me leave?

“That’s enough you two. She should be resting. How do you feel?” Reiji asked, standing at the foot of my bed. In his hands was cup of tea. “Drink this.”

               Sipping on the tea, I explained how I felt and what little I knew about the drug that had been given to me. Reiji ordered Ayato and Kanato to leave me in peace. No matter how hard I tried to sleep, my mind wouldn’t allow it. I decided to take a walk out in the garden. The night air felt good. The smell of the flowers calmed me.

               “Should you be out here?” Subaru asked as I picked a rose. 

               Shrugging my shoulders, I brought the rose to my nose. “Probably not, but I couldn’t stay in that room. It feels wrong. But here, this garden for some odd reason, makes me feel happy.” Moving my gaze from the flower to look at Subaru, something sparked inside me. Thirsty. His blood smelled good from all the way over there, but something else felt… right.

               He walked up to me, pulling his collar aside as he spoke. “Go on. I can see you want it.”

               I blinked. Most vampires wouldn’t offer their blood so willingly. “I-I’m okay.”

               Subaru jerked me towards him, growling. “Dammit, just do it. If it’s for you, I don’t mind.” He looked away awkwardly.

               Standing up on my tiptoes, I sank my fangs into his neck. His blood tasted so good. Subaru’s hands held my waist to steady me. This felt familiar, comfortable. Maybe we’d done this before. My strength returned more as I drank, and the want to touch him grew stronger. Sliding my hands up his chest, I held onto his shirt.

               “Leiko, don’t do that,” Subaru said softly, gripping harder on my waist. He said no, but he didn’t mean it.

               Before I questioned him about it, the smell of human hit me hard. No…

               “Leiko!”

               I lifted my head to look past Subaru. No… you can’t be here. It isn’t safe for you. They’ll all know you’re here. I can’t protect you in my current state. Everything moved slowly. He jogged closer, relief on his face.

               “E-Eiji…”

                


	7. Chapter 7

               Frozen in my spot, Eiji wrapped his long arms around my body, engulfing me in a hug. His heart pounded in his chest, either from running so much or excitement in finding me. How the hell did he find this place? There’s no way… There’s no way Kou or Ruki would have told him, right? If he’d made it to the Mukami house, they probably would have killed him. “You can’t be here.”

               “I’m sorry. I had a friend of mine track your phone. After Juro came back to the bar and told me about how sick you were, I couldn’t help it. We need to talk about—”

               “Eiji!” My voice came out much stronger this time, cutting him off. “ _You can’t be here_ ,” I stressed the words. He knows I’m a vampire, and it would make sense for him to understand that my family would be too.

               Subaru tensed up, disgust in his voice. “Who the hell are you?”

               Eiji walked past me, extending his hand to Subaru. “I’m Eiji, a friend of Leiko’s. You must be like her brother or something right? It’s nice to meet you.”

               Laito chuckled from beside him, appearing next. “A human wandering onto our estate is quite amusing. A friend of our little sister?” Though he smiled, it was easy to hear the threat in his voice.

               “Hey Leiko, how many brothers do you have?” Eiji asked nervously, looking back at me. He finally began to understand the situation he had walked into. Since I’d had no memories of here, there was no way to warn him about the dangers of walking into a group of vampires like pureblood ones.

               I have to get him out of here. “Six, and I can tell you all about it at Juro’s bar. Let’s go.” Teleporting over to him and shielding him from the two very hostile brothers in front of us, I forced him to take a step back when I did. We have to get out of here before anyone else shows up.

               “Now, now. That’s not nice,” Laito chastised, quickly moving between me and Eiji, pushing him back and taking a hold of me around the waist from behind. Eiji was out of sight, probably picking himself up off the ground.  “He’s a friend of yours. Let’s all go inside and talk. It has been a long time since we’ve seen you.”  Pressing his lips against my ear, he whispered, “Not only did you go with half breeds, but now you’ve got a human friend as well. What a naughty little sister you’ve been.” Biting my ear lobe, he laughed softly.

               He is sending so many mixed signals right now! Somewhere inside, I knew this was a game. Seems we vampires have a longing to play them. I should be protecting Eiji, not analyzing Laito’s real meaning behind his words. “Let me take him to the front gate, and I’ll play.” Instinct or not, I had to give into it. Any of them could kill Eiji without a second thought. If anyone hurt him, I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself.

               Laito released me, pleased with my answer.

               Practically dragging Eiji away, we walked in silence to the front gate. He held my hand tightly, even lacing his fingers into mine, something he told me that human couples did a lot. This makes the fifth time he’s held my hand. He tried to slow me down when we arrived at the front. “Wait, Leiko. I need to talk to you.”

               “Not here. Listen to me, Eiji. This place isn’t safe for you,” I started.

               His eyes went wide. “Is it safe for you?”

               I sighed, slipping my hand out of his. “Of course not. This is my home. All my brothers are vampires, and strong ones at that. They don’t like humans.” The danger he was in went right over his head as he stood there with a stupid grin on his face. “Stop it. You have to leave now. Before anyone else knows you’re here.”

               “I can convince them that I’m a good human!”   
               Groaning, I shoved him out of the gate, letting it close and lock with a secure clink. “No, you won’t. They’ll kill you before you get half a word out. Go home, Eiji.” I turned to go back to the house. I can’t make him any promises. If it all goes according to my plan, then I’ll only have to see him one last time.

               “Don’t push me away! Come to Juro’s bar tonight. Please.”

               I shook my head. “No. I’ll text you when I get the chance to stop by. It could be a while.” With that, I teleported back to my room. Giving a relieved sigh, I brushed my hair back. Eiji is in danger so long as he knows what I am, and now, even knows where I live. It has to end.

               “You sure took your time with that human boy. Did he kiss you goodbye?” Laito teased, sitting on the edge of my bed. There was a hint of jealousy in his voice. Though he grinned, there was anger behind it. It wasn’t clear to me whether he had always been jealous of others touching me or not.

               “No. He didn’t, nor ever has, kissed me. He’s just a friend, or was. I won’t be seeing him again.” That wasn’t completely true. One last thing needed to be done before I could let go of Eiji completely. Explaining to Laito would probably only make the situation worse.

               Laito teleported over to me, backing me up against the door. He tilted my chin up, our eyes locked in a stare for a long moment. “You’ve been gone for far too long,” Laito said softly, pressing his lips to mine. Slipping his arm around my waist, he pulled my waist against his.

              

_My back hit the wall hard, his hand entangled in my hair, holding my head back at an uncomfortable angle. Richter stared down at me, a frown on his face. “That wasn’t very nice of you, Leiko.” His lip bled from the bite marks of my fangs. My whole body tensed in fear. “It’s been a while, and you’ve grown since I last saw you.” Richter said, wiping the blood of his chin._

 

               “Wait!” I gripped his shirt and turned my head away. Regaining reality, I took a deep breath. “Not here.” Shutting out that memory had been hard, and it would be hard to keep it away if we stayed in this room. It made me sick to my stomach to think about it.

               In an instant, we were in another room on the bed, presumably his room. It was silent for a few minutes, until I reached up and took off his fedora, holding it with both hands and covering my face. “Hey, Laito?” I paused, unsure of what exactly I was going to ask. “Why… why did someone who was supposed to protect us let all those things happen?”

               “You mean our Mother?” He asked.

               I nodded my head. Tears pooled in my eyes. Whenever my thoughts wandered to her, I didn’t get the same feelings as I did about Richter. With him, I was angry, so angry, and scared. But her… my feelings were more complex. Anytime she came to mind, my whole body tensed in hurt and depression. Unanswered questions plagued me. She’s supposed to be my mother. So, why would she let him do those things to me?

               Laito lifted the hat away, tossing it beside us on the bed. “Did you remember something in your room?” He asked, smiling a little at me when I nodded again. “We’re vampires, Leiko. Certain things are different in our world, as opposed to humans. But I understand you, you know. We both were used by her for entertainment and pleasure. Was it wrong? Who can say. Does it make it wrong what we do?” He brushed my tears away with his thumb.

               “It doesn’t feel wrong, and that’s what separates us from her. We chose this. I chose you. No one forced us into this,” I replied, running my hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, I completely ruined the mood.” My emotions were all over the place recently. Side effect of the drugs maybe? I should ask Reiji his opinion.

               Laito chuckled, placing a soft kiss on my lips, followed by another one on my ear. “No, it makes me want to love you even more,” he whispered.

               We could spend the entire day in here, that felt familiar. Each kiss, touch, and bite, blended together with the memories of our time spent in this room. It was safe. It was my decision. This room felt like a safe space where no one could tell me what to do. We may have been using each other to escape from our reality back then, but in this moment, it felt more like love. If you can call what we vampires do, love.

 


	8. Valentine's Day Special

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone! Here’s a little short side story of Kou and Leiko! Your regularly scheduled story will be back in the next chapter!

**A/N: Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone! Here’s a little short side story of Kou and Leiko! Your regularly scheduled story will be back in the next chapter!**

 

 

Usually at this time of the day, the house would be empty, as the four boys would be at school. The car had just rolled away, but Kou still lingered in the house. It irritated me a little because I liked my time alone, but also because today is another ridiculous human holiday. Celebrating love and giving gifts to prove to someone you love them. What bullshit. They waste their money on chocolates that won’t be ate, and flowers that will wither and die in a few short days.

               Kou knocked on my door, which was strange. When the door swung open, my eyes fell on the pretty box in his hands that had been wrapped in red with a white bow tied neatly around it. “Put this dress on and meet me downstairs in half an hour.”

               I blinked, unsure of his motive. “You want to celebrate a stupid human holiday?” That’s a first.

               Offering the box to me a second time, Kou grinned. “Humor me, Leiko. Please?” His sincerity made it hard to refuse.

               “Okay,” I replied, taking the box. He disappeared, leaving me to get dressed in peace. Setting the package on the bed, I slowly untied the ribbon to remove the lid. The red dress inside had long sleeves with a red lacey roses pattern, but it was open in the back. The bottom part flared like a skirt, with matching red tulle. Underneath was a pair of black high heels. A gorgeous outfit.

               Sighing, I slid the dress on. To be honest, I really hate Valentine’s Day. Kou and I have never celebrated it before, so what’s different about this year? Knowing him, he wanted something from me, as that was his outlook on the world. But… damn this dress was beautiful. Spinning around in front of the mirror, I couldn’t help but smile.

               It took nearly the full half hour to put on some light makeup and fix my hair to presentable. When I got to the bottom of the stairs, Kou was waiting by the door, in a rather dashing tuxedo. He adjusted the tie before noticing me. His eyes lit up. “I knew that was the perfect dress. You look beautiful!” He kissed my lips and rested his forehead against mine. “Ready to go?”

               “Yes,” I said, taking his hand.

               A cab waited outside for us and drove us into the town. Kou refused to tell me where we were going, even as we walked down the main street. “Did you take off work today?” I asked, accepting the rose he’d paid for. It smelled sweet.

               “Just for you,” Kou replied, pulling me closer to his side and kissing the top of my head.

               This is weird. We’ve never done typical couple things, like go on dates or anything. Neither of us had really cared to. The human world was of no interest to me, but tonight, all the bright lights and romantic atmosphere had me in a good mood. I jokingly made the comment, “You do know that I’ll be expecting this to happen now, right?”

               “Oh? So, you do like my surprise?” Kou asked, leading me toward the park. There seemed to be a lot going on. Vendors had set up to sell heart shaped jewelry made from cheap metal, and there was a crepe stand that Kou insisted on buying me one. Couples were out in droves.

               I offered him a bite of the crepe filled with chocolate. “To answer your question,” I started, meeting his gaze. “I do like it.” My cheeks flushed red with embarrassment.

               “Good, and this is for you,” Kou pulled a small box out of his pocket, placing the black box in my hand that he’d taken my crepe out of.

               Lifting the lid, my eyes grew wide at the earrings inside. To the average person, these would probably look like average rose earrings, but I knew the style. These were vintage, centuries old, and nowhere to found in today’s society for less than millions of dollars. It took me a full minute to stop staring and form any words. “Thank You, Kou. They’re beautiful.” Disposing of the cheap ones I had in, I used a small vendor mirror to replace the old ones with these.

               “I’ve had these for a long time, but they look much better on the thing I admire most instead of getting dusty in a drawer,” Kou replied, watching me with an amused grin. He easily caught me when threw my arms around his neck. Kou squeezed me tight in his arms, lowering his head to whisper into my ear. “I’ve got a big present for you, too, if you want it?”

               When I’d agreed, we left the beautiful park to go toward the motel district. “What’s so special about—” With one look and a finger to his lips, he silenced me. Why waste money of a motel when we have the whole house to ourselves. We went up to the fourth floor, and Kou pulled a keycard from his pocket, unlocking the door at the end of the hall.

               “Ladies first,” He smirked, holding the door open.

               The lights were dim, but I could smell the human girl from here. Her words were sluggish, asking questions about where she was and who was in the room. I stood at the end of the bed, looking at the completely naked human girl. “Kou?”

               His arms slid around me from behind, and he rested his chin on my shoulder. He’d already discarded his blazer. “Surprise, Leiko. For this Valentine’s Day, we’re getting fresh human blood.”

               My eyes grew wide. “Seriously? Where the hell did you find this girl?”

               “Runaway, no one will miss her. She came to me, asking for sex in exchange for money. And while I do admire her tenacity to ask, I thought what a better way to spend Valentine’s Day with my Leiko than to have some fun with a human and drink her blood. I know you also like girls,” he said, kissing my neck. His hands slid up under my dress. “So, do you want her?”

               Taking a deep breath, the scent of her blood filled my lungs. It made my mouth water. She smelled sweet, good enough to eat… My only issue was location. I spun around in his arms to face him. “What about this place? Someone might hear her.” I started to unbutton his shirt.

               “Don’t worry about that. I bought out all the rooms around this one, above and below, and she’s not lucid enough to make so much noise. You don’t have to worry about a thing,” Kou replied, placing a soft kiss on my lips. His hands slid up my back to unclasp the button at the top of the dress.

               That made me laugh, and I made an awe-sound. “Look at you, spoiling me. Sex and a dinner all in one, aren’t you the romantic?” It’s been some time since I’ve had fresh human blood. The four of them would get it when I wasn’t around, and Ruki would keep some for me to drink, but to have a real live human right in front of me, it made me excited.

               He pushed me back to make me slide my arms out of the top of the dress, and he seemed to be happy with the fact that I had nothing on underneath. The top fell around my hips and Kou lifted me up. I latched my legs around his waist, now looking down at him. The two of us were a slow sex type of couple. Whatever drug that girl was on, she must have been given a huge dose. Her half-lidded green eyes held confusions and fear as I leaned up on my arm to get a better look at her.

               Her arm raised slowly, and she touched one of my braids. “Pretty… purple…” Her speech slurred, and the rest of sentence went unheard. Humans are so fragile. Easily manipulated and their lives so quickly snuffed out.

               Taking her hand, I kissed the inside of wrist where her veins showed through her pale skin. The smell of her blood was stronger there, and I could almost taste it. Warm. Sweet. Kou was sitting up and observing, only running one hand up and down my spine to cure his boredom. This girl had plain brown hair that spilled around her head in disarray. Tracing my fingers down her chest, she sucked in a breath from the sudden contact, making me laugh. “She’s pretty,” I said. “For a human.”

               “Not my type,” Kou replied, pushing me forward. “But I knew you’d like her. Go on. You like to play with your food before you eat it.” He doesn’t like humans, at all. I wouldn’t say I do, but some human girls fascinated me with how they reacted to my touch.

               I sat up on my knees to lean down and kiss her. It surprised her, and she wanted to push me away, because she’d probably come here expecting to hook up with an idol for money. Using my left hand, I squeezed one of her breasts, receiving a very satisfying moan. It sounded sweet and innocent. It made me want to hear more.

 Sinking my fangs in to her neck gave the reaction I wanted. Her voice came out hoarse, but it clearly held the pain she felt. Her warm blood filled my mouth and it tasted amazing. There’s nothing like fresh human blood. Only allowing myself one small taste, I pulled back.

               Swinging my leg over her to straddle her waist, I tilted my head to the side. What an expression. Her head teetered back and forth. Her eyes were wider now, more lucid than before. Her bottom lip quivered in fear. She’s realized what we are. She knows that her situation is grim. She’s made a mistake and there’s no escape for her. That pained expression made me smile.

               “Leiko,” Kou called to me and leaned forward to kiss me, tasting the blood still on my lips. He craved her as well.

               Usually I liked to take my time. We could have been here for hours, but I craved to taste her blood again. “Do you want to taste her too?” I asked. That was all the invitation Kou needed. He hooked his hands under her armpits and hoisted her up, me along with her. Her back was against his chest, and her head fell back against his shoulder as we both drank her blood on either side of her neck. Surviving one vampire was hard, but two? Impossible.

               Soon her body went limp and her blood all gone.

               And the two of us returned home from our escapade.

               “I actually,” I stared, grabbing his hand before he could walk away. “I actually have something for you, too.” I teleported us up to my bedroom, moving to the beside table and opening the drawer. I took out the small box and held it out.

               Kou had an amused smile on his lips. “I thought you hated Valentine’s Day.”

               “Shut up and open it,” I mumbled, embarrassed.

               He opened the box, looking between me and the item inside. “Leiko…”

               “It’s sapphire,” I clarified. The necklace inside had a sliver chain and a sapphire stone hanging from it. He’d told me once what the meaning behind sapphire was, and that he had always had a fascination with the stone since he was young. It held the meaning of love and commitment. “Because…” I forced myself to meet his curious gaze. “I love… you.”

               Kou had clasped the necklace around his neck and discarded of the box on the bed. He slid one arm around my waist, using his free hand to cup my face. “That’s a good girl. Admitting your feelings for me is just too adorable to resist.” He dropped his head to kiss me. “I love you, Leiko.”

               Just this year, maybe Valentine’s Day isn’t so horrible.

              


	9. Chapter 9

               Almost a week has passed since Eiji had showed up that day. I couldn’t bring myself to go visit him. That would only make it harder to end things, which had been on my mind for a few days now. It’s daylight still but living with the Mukami’s had altered my schedule to partial daytime living. So, instead of sleeping, I wandered. The familiar hallways were easy to navigate and before I knew it, I stood in the doorway to Reiji’s study. He was looking over a book, researching about me probably. “Do you have a minute?” I asked.

               Reiji gave a curt nod and cleared a space on the desk for me sit. “I wanted to take some more blood from you. Are your symptoms returning?”

               Slowly over the last week, I had begun to feel more like myself. Still, most of my memories hadn’t returned. I can remember a lot of my childhood spent with my brothers, but nothing of importance… nothing about my father or the reasons he’d decided to experiment on me. “No, nothing like that.” I paused, chewing on my lip. “How hard is it to make a human forget?”

               Sticking the needle in my arm, Reiji met my gaze. “Are you speaking of that boy that found his way to our estate?” he asked. The vial filled with my blood, and he began to fill another. “It wouldn’t be too difficult. Humans are far more susceptible to drugs than we are.”

               “Can you?” I asked. This is the only way to keep Eiji safe. If he forgets about me, then there would be no reason for him to be in harms way. “Make a drug like that, I mean.” It didn’t seem right, to take away his memories of me, but what choice do I have? I can’t protect him forever.

               Reiji set the vials on the table beside me. “Yes, if that’s what you want. Though it would be much easier to simply get rid of the human than-”

               “I can’t do that,” I cut him off. Dropping my head to stare at the floor, I sighed. “He’ll die of old age anyways one day. If it weren’t for me, he’d never have learned of vampires’ existence in the first place.”  It seemed almost wrong to have these mixed feelings for a human, but I did. Eiji had his career just starting to pick up and I couldn’t take that away from him.

               Giving me a disapproving expression, Reiji sighed. “We do not pity mortals, Leiko.”

               He’s starting to irritate me. Narrowing my eyes, I swatted his hand away. “That’s enough blood.” I slid off the desk and jerked the needle out of my arm. “I’m handling this my way. All I’m asking for is the drug.” There was tension in between us.

               “It seems you _are_ returning to your old self,” Reiji replied, holding my angry gaze.

               Before I did something that I might regret, I teleported down to the front door. When Kou and I would fight, the best way for me to cool down was to go walk outside. Though they had a big mansion, they didn’t have as much land, and typically I wandered in Yuma’s garden. I doubt that there would be one here. None of my brothers seemed to have any interest in something as mundane as planting a garden.

               I’d been so wrapped up in my thoughts, that I hadn’t noticed the familiar smell. Groaning to myself, I leaned my forehead against the door. Why does he feel the need to put himself into unnecessary danger? His presence lingered outside of the door.

               “Leiko? I know you’re there,” Eiji’s voice came out quietly, like he was afraid that he might scare me away. “I saw you through the window a minute ago. That sounds kind of creepy right?” He laid his hand on the door, laughing softly. “I thought that since it’s daylight, your siblings would be sleeping. Isn’t that a vampire thing? Afraid of sunlight?” He’s been researching since he found out about me, though most conceptions of vampires were wrong.

               “I told you not to come back here,” I replied. My hand hovered above the door handle.

               He laughed again, this time sounding more amused. “Please come by the bar tomorrow. I have a gift for you. Remember those photos you let me take? I want to give you my favorite one.”

               I couldn’t bring myself to open the door. It’s bad enough knowing he’s here, but if his scent gets inside the house, it could wake up the others. Eiji’s so persistent. It made me smile. He’d come back day after day until I agreed to come. “Okay, I’ll come tomorrow,” I answered. This would be the quickest way to get him to leave.

               “R-really?” His voice squeaked with surprise. Clearing his throat, he was smiling. I didn’t have to see him to know that he wore that stupid grin when he got excited. “Then I’ll see you tomorrow, Leiko.” He lingered by the door for a little longer, hoping that I might open it. The seconds ticked by before he started mumbling to himself and walked away.

               I teleported to the second story to watch him leave from the window. It would be hard for him to see me up here, but I could see him. He had a light skip in his step, clearly ecstatic  by my answer. It pained me to know that after tomorrow, neither he nor Juro would remember me. Even if Eiji forgets, will he still have a strange notion of missing me? From the research I’ve done, humans don’t fully forget. It’s there in their minds, they just can’t figure out what it is. Eiji will have that feeling for the rest of his mortal life.

               _Unless you fix the problem_.

               My head turned sharply at the voice. The hallway was still empty, in both directions. That voice sounded familiar, and it sent a chill down me. Eiji had made it to the gate and took one last look at the house. His eyes scanned the building, but he squinted in the sunlight, unable to see me. This will be the last time he’s here. Though it went against vampire nature, I wanted him to be happy and it hurt… more than ever before.

               Vampire’s don’t have heartbeats. What use could we have for it when we’re dead? But, there was a clench in my chest. I grabbed the material of my shirt, doubling over from the pain radiating from my heart. This hasn’t happened before. Is it a side effect from the drug? I hit the window with my fist, sending lightening streaks of shattered glass across it.

               _Fix the problem, Leiko. You know what that means._

That voice! It echoes around me. Digging my fingers into the skin, I wanted to rip my heart out of my chest. I stumbled back, still unable to straighten up. My knees felt weak, buckling from the immense pain. My back hit another body, knocking Ayato back onto the floor too. His arms were around me, prying my hand away from my chest.

               Trying to fight him didn’t work. The pain made me weaker. “It hurts!” I said, digging my heels into the floor to push my whole body back against his.

               Ayato held my wrists tight, pulling them in to allow him to hold me more still. “Leiko, you’re going to hurt yourself,” he said softly. He leaned down and kissed my neck. “Your blood smells different.”

               The hot tears spilled down my cheeks and my muscles tensed. How does an organ I don’t use cause so much pain? My chest heaved with my crying. “Make it stop,” I whined. Is losing Eiji really that bad? He’s a stupid human who should never know that vampires exist. Then why does the thought of him forgetting me hurt like this?! My head tilted to the side. “Make it stop, Ayato. Make it stop!” I need some other release. Some other pain to make this dull. “Please…”

               The feeling of fangs sinking into my neck had almost been forgotten. Kou had given all kinds of excuses as to why he wouldn’t bite me. While our blood didn’t taste as satisfying as a human, it still eased our thirst, and could be quite erotic. I’d drank his blood on multiple occasions. Even without my memories, I knew it had something to do with the drug my father made. It must have been years since anyone has bit me.

               The fire in my blood grew hotter when Ayato bit down into my neck. It made me writhe in his arms, barely able to take it. He held me tighter, moaning softly as he drank my blood. At least the aching in my chest seemed to weaken. Biting down on my tongue, my own thirst began to grow. I would need to drink blood soon, too. “A-Ayato…” I whined, regaining control over my body.

               “We used to do this a lot. Do you remember?” He asked, taking a break from drinking. He rested his chin on my shoulder, watching me. “Back when we were kids. While the others enjoyed their freedom away from our mother, you would stay inside with me in the library to study. We had mother’s schedule memorized, and you liked for me to drink your blood.”

               That was a memory that had returned to me. I’d spent most of my childhood following Ayato around and copying anything he did. So, when mother made him study, I did it too. “Until _he_ stopped it. I remember that day.”

               Mother had been so angry when she found out. It could have been that Ayato hadn’t been studying as hard as she wanted, but she seemed to dislike the fact that I liked to be bitten. That’s too human, she’d say. We drink vampire blood during intimate moments, she’d say. That day Richter caught us. He nearly killed Ayato and took me away for the first time. They had agreed it would be good for me. That I had been distracting my brother from his study, and he’d forced it on me. It had been the opposite. I always begged him over and over. But no one listened to me. That day was the last of my happy childhood days.


End file.
